2012 CFP: Extended CFPs

American

African American Women in Rochester: Though Harriet Jacobs, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman all lived in or near Rochester roughly concurrently, each had a distinct relationship to self-representation. Truth promoted abolition through her portraits and public speaking. Tubman gave performances. Jacobs published an autobiography. The panel welcomes papers that explore how gender, race and class shape representations of African American women in Rochester and, consequently, public memory. Please send 250-word abstracts to Jennifer Sieck, jennifer.sieck@gmail.com. DEADLINE OCT 10
American Exceptionalism After the Exception: This panel reconsiders the current status of exceptionalism in versions of American literary and cultural studies that now routinely claim to have left it behind. Have rumors of its death been greatly exaggerated? Beneath the well-publicized shifts from reflexive exceptionalism to methodological positions ‘beyond’ it, do there lurk continuities in the way we do business, or in our objects of knowledge? Abstracts to <jmichae2@UR.Rochester.edu> and <ezra.tawil@rochester.edu> DEADLINE OCT 10
American Indian Literary Nationalism (Roundtable): This roundtable joinS the discussion in Native studies about American Indian Literary Nationalism, addressing questions as: What are ethical critical practices in scholarship on Native writers? How do critics and teachers avoid an approach to reading and discussing Native literatures that replicates a colonizing framework? How does the position of American Indian literary nationalism influence the work of Native and non-Native scholars and teachers of American Indian literature? 300-500 word abstracts to jdymond@spfldcol.edu DEADLINE OCT 10
Diagnosis Violence: American Novelists’ Search for Causes (Seminar): Responding to events from Hiroshima to Columbine and 9-11,contemporary novelists have searched for answers to the question of violence in American society, presenting various hypotheses, working through various genres. For example, Ursula LeGuin and Octavia Butler worked from the vantage point of the future, while Ron Hansen and Jane Smiley have looked to the past. To participate in this seminar discussion, send 250-400 word abstracts pasted in the body of an email to Elizabeth Abele <abelee@ncc.edu> DEADLINE OCT 10

British and Anglophone

Aliases and Editors: Negotiating Identity in 19th Century Periodicals: This panel explores the influence of British periodical press in shaping popular perceptions of identity and the authorial personae of Romantic writers. How do the pseudonymous works of such authors as Charles Lamb and James Hogg undermine ideals of stable identity? How did the rigid standards of editors/reviewers provide periodicals with strong identities? How did working around such rigidity affect how authors presented themselves to their readers? 250–500 word abstracts to Keith Friedlander <kfrie074@uottawa.ca> DEADLINE OCT 10
Australasian and Commonwealth Bildungsromans: The panel welcomes proposals that examine Australian, New Zealand and other Commonweath Bildungsromans What are the differences between bildungsromans published at the beginning of the 20th century and bildungsromans published later? How do aboriginal authors employ the genre? What is the role of post-colonial and postmodern studies on Commonwealth bildungsromans? Though preference is given to Australasian literatures, Canadian and South African are also welcome. E-mail 250-400 word abstracts to Elizabeth Abele <AbeleE@ncc.edu> DEADLINE OCT 10
Beyond Isherwood’s Camera: Images of Interwar Berlin in Literature and Film: Christopher Isherwood’s line, ‘I am a camera,’ positioned Berlin as a location of study to be printed and fixed in time. This panel seeks papers that further critical engagement with representations the built environment of Berlin during the interwar period in literature and film. Topics might include American and British ex-pat/tourist narratives, phenomenology of the city, underground communities, ideals of nationalism and identity, modernism(s) in Berlin. Send 200-300 word abstracts to Sarah Cornish (sarahcornish@gmail.com). DEADLINE OCT 10
Representing Eire: Ideology in Irish Cinema from John Ford to John Carney: This panel invites submissions which focus on filmic representations of Ireland/the Irish from a variety of perspectives. Of particular interest are investigations of how the cinema has historically engaged the complexity of Irish culture in relation to economics, secularization, and globalization. Submit abstracts to Daniel Shea (Daniel.Shea@msmc.edu) or Kate Kennon (katekennon@optonline.net). DEADLINE OCT 10
Shakespeare at the Opera: The panel examines operatic adaptations of Shakespeare plays. How do Shakespearean operas serve as ‘readings’ that illuminate facets of the plays on which they are based? How do different treatments of Shakespeare shed light on the historical and cultural conditions that produced the operas? How can studying Shakespeare as opera function as a miniature historical lens om Shakespearean reception across the centuries? Send 300 to 500-word abstract to Josh.Cohen@massart.edu. DEADLINE OCT 10
Using and [Re]Fusing The Bible: Revision and Parody in Medieval Britain (Roundtable): What was the value of The Bible in medieval Britain? Study of biblical paraphrase, expansion of biblical narrative, and creation of literary parodies of biblical material provide possibilities for understanding how cultural context shaped Uses of this text, the decentralization of political or religious power, public and private performance of devotion, and the development of notions about artistic ownership. Please submit 250-500 word abstracts to David Pecan at david.pecan@ncc.edu. DEADLINE OCT 10
The Worlds of V.S. Naipaul: This panel seeks papers on V.S. Naipaul’s travel writing and/or criticism that extends the examination of Naipaul’s literary relationship to British travel writers of the 19th century Charles Kingsley, James Anthony Froude, and Anthony Trollope, and Joseph Conrad. Panelists might explore Naipaul and the imperial gaze; new perspectives on his views of colonialism and post-colonialism, migration, diaspora, slavery, and exile; and the representation of empire in literature. Dorsia Smith Silva <djsmithsilva@yahoo.com> DEADLINE OCT 10

Canadian

Canadian Short Stories: This panel examines works of Anglophone Canadian short story writers, such as as Alice Munro, Margaret Laurence, Gabrielle Roy, Carol Shields, and Margaret Atwood. Is the short story a genre particularly suited to female Canadian writers? Do these short stories authors convey the notion of Canadianness? Other topics include: collections of linked stories, ‘flash fiction,’ influences among Canadian authors, or connections between an author’s stories and novels. 350-500 word abstracts to Karen Stein <karen.whd@gmail.com> DEADLINE OCT 10

Comparative Languages

After the Black Water and the Pigpens: Literature of the Asian Caribbean: The experiences and legacies of Asian indenture and diaspora in the Caribbean have much to teach us about the possibilities and tensions involved in the complex processes of cultural creolization. To that end, paper proposals are invited on topics pertaining to Francophone, Hispanophone, Anglophone, and Dutch literary representations of the Asian Caribbean. Please send abstracts via e-mail to Christopher Winks, Queens College- CUNY, <christopher.winks@qc.cuny.edu>. DEADLINE OCT 10

Cultural Studies and Film

An Exploration of Puppet Power (Creative): Explore subversive imaginary, even uncanny in puppet performances and the strength of puppets in questioning reality and perception. In light of cognitive science findings about uniquely human capability of sharing attention, the possibilities inherent to puppetry will be examined through collaborative manipulation of puppets created from supplied materials and reflection on this experience. Please send 300-500 word abstracts and brief biographical statements in English, German or French to Pia Banzhaf pia.banzhaf@queensu.ca DEADLINE OCT 10
Gramsci in the UK, USA and Latin America (Roundtable): This roundtable intends to examine the current relevance of Antonio Gramsci’s work in a cross-cultural context; the validity of several key analytical categories in his work to contemporary examinations of the organization of culture; and assess the efficacy of approaches undertaken in his name. Please submit all proposals via e-mail to Mark Epstein at: mwepstein@verizon.net. Please include with your abstract: name & affiliation, email address, postal address and telephone number(s). DEADLINE OCT 10

German

The Making of the Child Murderess in German Literature, Film, and Culture: This panel investigates the topic of infanticide in German literature, film and culture from Enlightenment to the Present. We seek papers that examine medical, political, social, and judicial discourses that impact the making of the child murderess. Please send 250-300 word abstracts and brief biographical statements with university affiliation as e-mail attachments to Ina Sammler, University of Maryland: isammler@umd.edu and Alexandra Hagen, University of Cincinnati: hagena@mail.uc.edu. DEADLINE OCT 10

Italian

Hunger and Opulence: Developing a Narrative in the Modern Italian Text (Roundtable): This roundtable will discuss the absence and the abundance of food along with its socio-political and literary implications in modern Italian literature and culture. It will concentrate on the 19th and 20th Centuries and may focus on the alimentary necessity for subsistence on the individual or social level, as well as food as a tool for societal and political definition. Please send a 300-400 word abstract to ddefeo@rci.rutgers.edu DEADLINE OCT 10
A voce alta: i ‘migranti’ descrivono gli ‘italiani’: Negli ultimi anni i testi prodotti dagli ‘scrittori migranti’ stanno arricchendo la letteratura italiana e ridefinendo l’identita` degli ‘italiani’. La sessione si propone di analizzare le opere di questi autori nella loro funzione di ‘specchio’ in cui le convinzioni e gli stereotipi consolidati sugli ‘italiani’ e sulla ‘italianita`’ vengono infranti. Come sono gli ‘italiani’ descritti dai ‘migranti’? Si prega di inviare un abstract (in italiano o inglese) di 250-300 parole a Martina Di Florio Gula, martina.di_florio_gula@uconn.edu BY OCT 10

Pedagogy

‘With All the Rub-a-dub of Agitation’: Teaching Suffragette Literature (Roundtable): As the home of Susan B. Anthony, Rochester is an ideal place to consider strategies teachers use to relate the women’s suffrage movement to the study of literary works by writers such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Susan Glaspell, Kate Chopin, and others. This roundtable panel will describe how teachers use documents of the time, such as letters, petitions, and speeches, to problematize the relationship between literature and history. Please send 250 word abstracts to David Leight, Reading Area Community College, dleight@racc.edu. DEADLINE OCT 10

Professional

Best Practices for Professional Development and Support of Contingent Faculty (Roundtable): This session is for contingent faculty members and administrators who support them (chairs, program coordinators, deans.) Partipants will discuss effective professional development programs that have worked at their institutions. Practical ideas for part-time faculty orientation sessions, technology training programs, handbooks, listservs, websites, and recognition programs are welcome---including specific suggestions and resources for part-time instructors who teach online. Proposals to Rhonda Filipan: rfilipan@kent.edu DEADLINE OCT 10
Publishing the First Monograph (Roundtable): This is a roundtable panel that aims to demystify the process of preparing the first monograph. Participants will deliver a short presentation (6-7 minutes), in which they will share their experiences and tips with the audience. All participants must have published at least one monograph between 2003-2010. The panel welcomes proposals from panelists who work in various fields, languages, literatures, time periods, and disciplines. Please e-mail Suha Kudsieh at: kudsieh@gmail.com. DEADLINE OCT 10

Spanish/Portuguese

América Latina escondida: descubriendo a autores y países olvidados: Some Latin American countries did not receive the deserved consideration in many studies and investigations; writers, poets and works that had considerable influence on their national identity and culture have received no mention and no appropriate importance. The panel will bring to light those works that have been forgotten or hidden over the last century. If you have alternate topics for the panel discussion please send a 250-300 words proposal to Antonella Calarota: acalarot@kean.edu DEADLINE OCT 10
The Antipoetry of Nicanor Parra and Its Legacy: This panel invites papers in English or Spanish on the antipoetry of Nicanor Parra, its evolution over the last 60 years, its place in literary history, its impact on other poets and prose writers (both in the Spanish-speaking as well as English-speaking world) and its intersection with postmodern theory and thought. Please submit 250-500 word abstracts to marlene.gottlieb@manhattan.edu DEADLINE OCT 10
Bridging the Gap: Performing Difference in the Hispanic Theater: This panel examines Hispanic dramatic texts that have set the stage for exploration and articulation of communication across cultural divides (class, ethnicity, gender and race). By giving voice to ‘the other,’ their playwrights (i.e. Luis Valdez of El Teatro Campesino) have tread new paths toward the staging of ‘imagined communities’ and re-staged their diverse subjects’ equal right to nation-ness. Please send name, academic affiliation, a brief biography, paper’s title and 250-word abstract to Rose McEwen (mcewen@geneseo.edu). DEADLINE OCT 10
Emerging Perspectives on Latin American Rainforest Imaginaries: This panel highlights new scholarly points of view about Latin American rainforests. These perspectives relate to the way in which national and spatial imaginaries are negotiated in diverse contexts, including ecological and ethnic. We welcome papers that explore notions of nation, nationalism, coloniality, postcoloniality, regional politics, resistance movements, minority representation, and violence, among others. Please send 200-300-word abstracts and brief biographical statements to Cristóbal Cardemil (crisfcar@gmail.com). DEADLINE OCT 10
Global Crisis’ Spain. Poetics and Imaginaries of Late Capitalism in Spain: The global economic crisis through its Spanish actualization. Relations between culture, economy, and national and civic imaginaries in Spain. Ways of verbalizing the crisis, its consequences, and political responses through cultural practices. Emphasis in cultural and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as media studies. Abstracts to <labrador@princeton.edu> and <mluis@sas.upenn.edu> DEADLINE OCT 10

Theory and Literary Criticism

Postcoloniality in the Wake of the ‘Arab Spring’: What impact has the ‘Arab Spring’ had on postcolonial discourse? How has the recent strike wave contributed to a ‘remapping’ of postcoloniality in the contemporary period? This panel investigates the relationship between the ‘Arab Spring’ that swept across North Africa and the Middle East, among other areas of the world, and the ‘genre’ of postcoloniality, particularly how the strike wave has opened up spaces for rethinking issues of class, race, and gender. Send 250-word abstacts to John Maerhofer <jjmaer@aol.com> DEADLINE OCT 10

Transnational Literatures

Identity, Identification, and Subject in the Marginal Literatures of Germany: This panel seeks papers on the examination of the relationships between identity, identification, and subject within the context of multi-language marginal literatures of Germany. The genres in focus are short prose, poetry and novel from the selected works of Turkish-German, Arab-German, (Far East) Asian-German and African-German writers. Please send 300 word English abstracts and brief bibliographical statements (via email and preferably in MSWord or PDF format) to Hulya Yilmaz, HNU1@psu.edu. DEADLINE OCT 10
Representation, Secular Violence, and the Politics of South Asian Community (Seminar): Who sings the nation-state? This seminar seeks papers that address the ethics, politics, and aesthetics of representing community, statehood, and conflict in South Asia and/or its Diaspora from Partition to the present. Literary, historical, theoretical, cultural studies, media studies and other approaches are welcome. Attunement to the vicissitudes of historiography and memory, as factors informing work on community, is vital. Invited respondent: Asha Varadharajan. Please send abstracts of 300-500 words to raji.soni@queensu.ca. DEADLINE OCT 10

Women’s and Gender Studies

Revisiting ‘The Red Record’: Black Women’s Lynching Texts (Seminar): This seminar seeks papers exploring African-American women’s lynching narratives. How have black women writers used their texts (literary, visual, performance, etc.) to protest ‘lynch law’ and record its impact on American racial and gender formations? What remains unexplored? Possible authors/artists include Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Kara Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Georgia Douglas Johnson. Please send a 1-page abstract and brief bio to Courtney D. Marshall (courtney.marshall@unh.edu) with ‘NEMLA’ in subject line. DEADLINE OCT 10
Women and Spirituality: Ministries: This session will look at literature and film to investigate women’s recovery of previously appropriated spiritual roles, including new roles, such as rabbi and Catholic priest, as well as women’s roles in childbirth and spiritual healing. It will seek a range of presentations from the following areas: women and the priesthood; women in the rabbinate; women healers; women and goddess worship; women shamans; and related topics. 500 word abstract/CV to Dolores DeLuise <deluiseny@aol.com> DEADLINE OCT 10

The Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) is a scholarly organization for professionals in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and other modern languages. Use the site to learn more about us. For more information about NeMLA and its activities, contact nemlasupport@gmail.com; to report problems or ask questions about the web site, contact websupport@nemla.org.